Back in Action
by ForgottenStory
Summary: After Scorpia Rising. Alex is sent to the US to live with the Pleasures after Jack's death. After adapting to the US, he is eventually thrown back into the world of espionage. DROPPED.
1. Prologue

**A/N : Takes place after Scorpia Rising with a couple of tweaks.**

**Warning(s) for this chapter : language**

**Disclaimer : I don't own Alex Rider or anything in the series written by Anthony Horowitz. **

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><p>Prologue<p>

Alex Rider, the teenage MI6 spy who had saved the world multiple times, had died a week earlier when his guardian died. In his stead, was a young man who had seen and knew too much to live a normal life. He had witnessed people cloned, shot, killed and murdered... He himself even knew what it was like to shoot someone, and he was only fifteen. Alex knew that he had already outlived his expected lifespan and that it was the devil's luck and his young age which caused others to underestimate him, that kept him alive. But being underestimated could only last as long as he looked and he no longer looked young. In fact, he had the look war veterans had. His eyes were still as brown as when he was innocent, but it had lost its innocence. Instead, it had been replaced with the eyes of a doll, hollow and cold. Alex had grown to be 5'11" despite his ordeals, was even more fit than before, and still wore his wooden bead necklace with a new addition - a red charm in the shape of a lock with the letter _J_ in the center.

Fingering his necklace, Alex sat on the couch staring into nothingness. He was in a room in the Royal & General Bank after being debriefed by the new head of MI6, Mrs. Jones.

-Flashback-

_"Alex, I am very sorry for your loss. We shouldn't have sent Ms. Starbright with you to Cairo."_

_"..."_

_"It was never our intention to let any harm come to you or Ms. Starbright during your assignment."_

_Alex humorlessly laughed. "Much good that did, huh? She's dead now, Mrs. Jones. _**DEAD**_. And it was all you fault for allowing her to come. Hell, everything was your fault! Had you not 'recruited' me when I was fourteen, I could still be innocent and live without my scars. As if that wasn't enough as a daily reminder, I now have to live with the fact that Jack _**died**_because of my 'job'. She could have been with her parents in Washington or..." Alex trailed off._

_Mrs. Jones looked uncomfortable. "Alex, I truly am sorry. I was against ... as you said, 'recruiting' you, but it was necessary. Think of all the lives you saved! Alan had planned on making you work until you were eighteen but I think that there is another possibility for you."_

_Alex looked up and coldly asked, "And what would that be?"_

_Mrs. Jones sighed. "Before you had left for Cairo, we had a little talk with Ms. Starbright."_

_Intrigued, Alex raised an eyebrow._

_"It was planned that after you finished this mission, we would send you to California to live with the Pleasures while Ms. Starbright would either go back to her family or continue to live with you. We had also come to an agreement that we would not contact you until you were eighteen, at which time, you would pick to work for us as a full-time agent with benefits or to live a normal life. As Ms. Starbright is no longer here, we had contacted the Pleasures and they had agreed to adopt you. ... if you agree to it, that is."_

_Alex was speechless. Jack had actually planned for this in case anything happened. If she had gone through all that trouble just for him, he would respect her choice and go with it. Alex looked at Mrs. Jones and nodded._

_"Very well, Alex. Your flight will be scheduled to take off in two days. Before your flight however, you will not be allowed outside of the bank. Outside the door will be your escort and guard."_

_Alex stood up and walked out of the room. As he stepped out of the door, the guard turned to him and told him that he was to be escorted to his room where he would be staying until his flight. He was walked into the elevator and escorted to a room on floor 15. With the key the guard gave him, Alex opened the door and entered the room, leaving the guard outside._

_The room Alex was staying in was almost like every other room in the Royal and General Bank. However, this room had a small bed with a wooden dresser next to it, an adjourning bathroom, a television set with a couch set right in front of it, and no windows. As glad as he was for no windows, Alex couldn't help but feel a bit claustrophobic._

_'If an attacker were to come into the room, there'll only be one exit and that'll be blocked by the intruder...'_

_Shaking his head, Alex set side his worries. He walked over to the couch and heavily sat down._

-end of flashback-

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><p><strong>AN : '_Sic confectione._' Had to put that there ;) So, was it passable (unlike Alex's assignment *winks*) ? **

**Okay, so I kinda have the beginning of the story planned out but I don't exactly know how long it'll take to type up and upload since I have school. But hopefully a chapter will be up soon :]**

**That being said, please R&R!**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N : HUGE thanks to SamayouTamashi for allowing me to use the Raven in the series and telling me the works of it! Also, sorry about the delay in uploading it, so... I uploaded 2 chapters!**

**Warning(s) for this chapter : none**

**Disclaimer : Once again, I have no rights to Alex Rider or the series. SamayouTamashi owns the Raven.**

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><p>Chapter 1 - Armed<p>

_*knock knock*_

Alex was jolted out of his memories by the loud knocking on the door. He quickly got up and opened the door. Outside, a guard was holding an envelope.

"A message from Mr. Smithers," he simply said.

Alex nodded his thanks, took the letter, and went back inside his room. Walking over to the bed, he sat down and tore open the envelope with no heed to danger. After all, did he really need to fear anything besides getting sniped when he was inside MI6 headquarters? Smiling to himself, Alex opened the letter to read it.

_Alex, old chap!_

_I heard you're being sent off to the US and no one will be allowed contact with you until you decide to rejoin the espionage world when you're eighteen. It's such a pity since I've had wonderful ideas for new gadgets. But since you'll be alone for three more years, I thought it'd be best if you had something to protect yourself with. Come by my office at 1800 and I'll show you some gadgets I made you. You don't need to worry about your guard either; he'll be off when you come to see me, as the 'Bank' closes at 1700* sharp_

_Best of wishes,_

_Smithers_

_P.S. This letter will self-destruct within 45 seconds of coming in contact with air. _

Alex broke into a wide grin as he finished reading the letter. A couple of seconds after he finished reading it, it burst into ashes. Checking his watch, it read 1456. Sighing, he flopped down on the bed and decided to sleep. After all, it was best to get all the rest he could whenever possible.

- about 3 hours later -

Alex's internal alarm clock rang, telling him that it was almost 1800. Alex rolled out of his bed and went to the bathroom. After washing his face, he exited his room and went to the elevator to go down to Smithers' floor. When the elevator actually opened, Alex was surprised. He never thought that they would allow him to go anywhere. But then, MI6 tried to keep people out, not in. Upon arriving at the correct floor, Alex stepped into the hallway and went to Smithers door. The plague next to the door read, _Derek Smithers - Project Specialist_. Alex grinned at the irony and opened the door.

"Alex, my boy! It's nice to see you again! I see you still have good bone structure," greeted Smithers, the Irish man in a fat-suit. Alex had a flashback on how he and Smithers had been forced to run away in Cairo and how Smithers had taken off his fat-suit to reveal himself to be a skinny Irish man in his late thirties.

_'I mustn't think of Cairo,'_ Alex mentally scolded himself. Alex looked around the room and saw that it hadn't changed much. There was still the love seat under the 'painting' and the cabinets that transformed into a private elevator. However, there was now a bookshelf opposite the love seat. Smithers was sitting at his desk. On top of his desk was a computer screen, a plotted plant, paper filers, and a stapler.

"Have you got anything for me to take to the US, Smithers?"

"Ah, yes! I have a lot of the gadgets you had before and some new things," Leaning over, Smithers reached out and pressed a button somewhere hidden on the flower pot next to his computer.

"Please bring up the tray I specially set aside."

Alex expectedly looked at the love seat, expecting it to split in half to allow someone to come through. When he heard Smithers chuckle, he turned around to face the bookshelf. Indeed, the bookshelf started to change. Instead of splitting in half as Alex had expected it to, it was flipped up. Previously hidden by the bookshelf was a small doorway which led to some stairs. Walking up the stairs was a young man carrying a large tray covered with a lid. The man placed the tray on Smithers' table, nodded at Alex, and walked back down to the stairs. Automatically, the bookcase silently returned to its previous location, making the room seem as ordinary as before.

Curious, Alex walked up to Smithers' table and sat down in the chair in front of it.

Lifting the lid of the tray, Smithers set it aside and moved the tray so it was in front of himself as well as Alex.

"I'll start with the gadgets you've had already. Since the acne worked very well, I made a small tube for you to carry on yourself, and a large tube that you can keep to refill." Smithers then set aside the two objects to show Alex the others. "I hope you still have your ear pierced because I made you two new pairs. They work the same way. I also made some expanding gum with different flavors." He set aside a small box about the size of a ring case and five packs of gum next to the acne cream. The gum packs had no brand names labelled on them but rather were different colors. The gum packs simply had its flavors on it - strawberry, watermelon, spearmint, peppermint, and mystery.

"Now, the rest of the gadgets I'm giving are somewhat standard for a boy of your age. First is the backpack. Nothing special about it. It looks like a typical black Jansport except for the fact that it's fire and bullet proof, has fingerprint sensitive zippers, and has ghost images so that if airport security were to scan it, it would only appear to have a laptop, some cloths, and a wallet. Inside, there actually will be a laptop. It's been made to be able to hack just about anything. The laptop is also fingerprint sensitive so you don't need to worry about anyone being able to use it. It will work just fine unless it detects the fingerprint to belong to a criminal, in which case, it will self-destruct in five seconds without warning."

Smithers handed the backpack and laptop over to Alex so he could look at it. Alex inspected at the laptop and found that it looked very generic but modern. He turned back to Smithers to see him take out an iPhone.

"This is a brand new iPhone 4. It has all the same features as a normal iPhone but this phone has been preloaded with a couple of apps you might find useful. The SoundTracking app will allow to you listen in on conversations up to 100 feet away when you plug in earphones. The game Doodle Jump will allow you to shoot someone with a tranquilized needle from up to 20 feet away. It's been loaded with five needles. Also, if you ever find the need to call me, Mrs. Jones, Joe Bryne, or Ethan Brooke, I have them loaded on the phone under reasonable aliases.

"As a precaution, I have three bullet proof tank tops for you to wear if you ever feel the need to." Smithers gave Alex the rest of his gadgets. After giving them to Alex, Smithers hesitated a bit.

Alex was thrilled with all of his gadgets and was putting them all into his new backpack. The iPhone however, he slid into his pocket. While doing so, he had noticed Smithers hesitating a little bit and asked, "Is that all, Mr. Smithers?"

"Well... The next thing I'm giving you is an extremely... sensitive subject for MI6. But since you're going to the US where there's no backup for you..." Smithers trailed off and took the last item that was hidden, out of the tray. In his hand, was a sleek Desert Eagle. "I call this the Raven. Now, I know that you know how to shoot a gun, but I had this gun be especially made and modified for you. The pistol is finger sensitive, so only you can shoot it. The Raven also has the capability to shoot not only its designed ammunition, but practically every other type, from seventeen to fifty. The bigger the ammunition size you put in, the fewer shots you get and vice versa. Your file also said that you learned instinctive firing, so the SIG's trigger is movement sensitive, meaning it will start to fire at the twitch of your finger. However, it's a single-fire weapon because it's finger sensitive so take note of that.

"I also had a legal warrant made for you to carry it concealed that I got from some... colleagues in the CIA and MI6. The warrant is legit in both Britain and the US in case anything happens. I've included a hip holster with so you can carry it with you at all times." Smithers handed Alex both the gun and holster and smiled as he confidently took them.

"Good luck old chap and have fun in the US!"

Alex smiled and walked out of the room calling, "Thanks and good bye, Smithers!

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><p><strong>AN : '_Es completo._' Again, much thanks to SamayouTamashi. I wish that a gun like that existed; I would LOVE to own something that cool... :D **

*** 24-hour time is basically military time. Any hour after 12, subtract 12 from and you'll get AM/PM time.**

**As before, please R&R and comment! Constructive criticism is welcome! :]**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N : This chapter isn't all to exciting... But every story needs a beginning base, and this is Back in Action's "base." The next chapter isn't going to have much action but Chapter 4 definitely will, so there's something to look forward to. :D**

**Warning(s) for this chapter : nothing...**

**Disclaimer : If you believe that I own Alex Rider, I love you, but you're deluded.**

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><p>Chapter 2 - Practice<p>

By the time Alex got back to his room, it was 2030. Walking over to the bed, he placed the backpack on top of it and took out the Raven. Even since his training with Scorpia on Malagosto, Alex had learned to appreciate the beauty of firearms. Like Smithers had said, it was a modified Desert Eagle. He sat down and meticulously inspected the pistol and what he found pleased him. It weighed approximately four pounds. Although it was a bit heavier than he would have preferred, it was still manageable. Remembering a lecture from Gordan Ross, the arms specialist on Malagosto, Alex recalled the Desert Eagle's strong recoil since it was gas-operated. Making a mental reminder to ask the guard if there was a shooting range nearby, Alex continued to inspect the Raven.

Upon reaching the magazine, he couldn't help but be amazed by the ingenuity of it. Smithers had somehow found a way to make it so the magazine feed system would automatically adjust for the correct size. Then, moving to the trigger, Alex carefully looked over it. It wasn't much different from other triggers but upon closer inspection, he found an almost unnoticeable square. The way Smithers had made it, the square looked like part of a plain design. Satisfied with the Raven, Alex slid it under the pillow on his bed and dropped the backpack on the ground, next to the bed. Only after checking the time did he realize that an hour and a half had passed. Deciding to get some rest, Alex pulled the covers up and slept without a second thought.

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><p>He woke up after a dreamless sleep, thankful of the nightmares that had kept away. Since finishing his last mission, every time he went to sleep, he saw Jack die again and again. Sighing, he walked over to the bathroom and freshened himself up. Remembering his note to himself, Alex walked back to his backpack and took out the concealable hip holster and put it on. Then, taking the Raven out from under the pillow, He stuck it in the holster, where it fit snugly. Striding to the door, he opened it to find the same guard as yesterday standing there.<p>

"Is there a shooting range near here?" Alex inquired.

The guard was reluctant to answer but replied, "Well...there is, but I would have to ask Mrs. Jones if you're allowed to go there."

Annoyed but understanding the precautions, Alex sighed and nodded. The guard took out a communication device and proceeded to whisper into it. After spying for so long, Alex made out, "Agent ... requesting permission ... shooting range ... thank you, ma'am." The guard put the device down and nodded to Alex, heading towards the elevator with the teenager trailing behind. Once they were both inside the elevator, the guard pressed Floor B simultaneously with Floor 2. After a short pause, the elevator smoothly descended. The doors opened and they both stepped out.

In front of him was a large room that had tables and chairs with windows that allowed a hazy view of other agents practicing their shots. Placed right next to the entrance to the shooting range, was a booth where a man in his late 40s was working at. He seemed to be in charge, so Alex walked up to him. The man looked up and Alex noted subconsciously that he had thinning brown hair, brown eyes, looked to be about 5'8".

"How may I help you?" The man had a very monotonous voice, sounding eerily similar to a teacher he'd had at Brookland.

"I would like to shoot at targets and I need some magazines with rounds of any size."

"May I ask who you are...?" The man seemed very uncomfortable and was looking at Alex's guard who stood right behind him.

"Alex Rider."

The man walked over to his computer and typed in the name. From Alex's point of view, he saw the man visibly stiffen before turning back to face him. He stared incredulously at Alex but when he realized what he was doing, put on a blank mask.

"How many rounds do you need?"

"As many magazines as possible," Alex simply stated.

Wordlessly, the man retrieved a box holding twenty magazines and a pair of earplugs and handed it to Alex.

"Thanks."

Taking the earplugs, Alex put them and and then took the box of magazines. He walked through the door and immediately heard the gunshots of the other agents practicing. He headed down to a secluded stall and placed the box on the side shelf, while his guard stayed outside. Taking the Raven from the holster, he pushed the magazine in until it gave a semi-audible click. Assuming a typical shooting stance and closing his eyes, he cleared his mind of all distractions. The muffled gunshots around him, the tap of feet on the floor, the subtle sighs when targets were missed all faded away around him. Then Alex snapped his eyes open and repeatedly fired at the targets until he ran out of shots. Ignoring the cartridges that had fallen, he snatched up another magazine and repeated the process until he had exhausted half his ammunition pile. Already his index finger was beginning to become numb, but he ignored it as he grabbed another round.

The other agents had been getting ready to leave when they saw Alex walking to a stall. Curious, they grouped together and followed him, mostly unnoticed.

"I've been hearing a rumor that MI6 hired a teenager for a while now..."

"_I've_ heard that he single-handedly took down Scorpia, the largest terrorist group in the world. The one that recently disbanded, so they say."

"Really? How's that possible? He can only by fifteen or sixteen..."

"Not only did he single-handedly take down Scorpia, he's had a 100% success rate. That's nearly unheard of! He's probably one of the best agents we've got."

"What's his name?"

"I hear it's Rider. Alex Rider."

While the others were talking, one of the men had gotten distracted and had seen Alex start shooting. After Alex finished with his first magazine, he immediately picked up a second and professionally switched them. The man then looked past him and stood, amazed at the sight. He cried out to the other men, "Look at the targets!"

Turning all at once, they faced the targets and gaped at what they saw. Alex had shot the target in front of him, as well as the six surrounding ones. However, it wasn't the fact that he fired at seven targets that surprised the agents, it was the fact that every shot he fired, hit the exact center. Not only that, each shot hit the exact location of the previous shot on the target, leaving exactly one perfectly round hole on each one. While Alex was finishing the rest of his magazines, the other agents had just quietly watched him in awe and fear.

Once finished, Alex swept all of the cartridges and magazines into the tray that he had received. He didn't even bother looking at the targets, knowing each and every one of his shots were dead center. The point had been to test the gun, not his abilities, after all. Placing the Raven back in its holster, he picked up his tray and walked towards the door. Nodding to the speechless agents that parted to let him through, he walked to the door and exited.

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><p><strong>AN : 'это делается****_._****' YAY! The 2nd chapter is done! **

**I hope all the information about the Desert Eagle and shooting range are correct because I have never seen or been to one in reality. It's something I plan on eventually doing sometime in the future... Anyhow, I did research on them, so hopefully the facts are right. **

**If you R&R or comment, I'll give you a gadget from Smithers ;)**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N : Thanks to everyone who reviewed Chapters 1 & 2~**

**Thanks to Yashendra2797, Phoenix Revenge, and Synchro lover for reviewing the chapters!**

**Phoenix Revenge : I'll be sure to make it so Alex isn't perfect. ;)**

**Phantom Lightning : If you've read a story by SamayouTamashi, then you probably recognize it. I got Samayou's permission to use the Raven in my story.**

**Thanks to Karatemaster101 for Beta-ing this chapter!**

**Happy Holidays everyone!**

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><p>Chapter 3 - Welcome<p>

The following day, Alex went with the guard to the shooting range again. Walking to the booth next to the door, he asked the man to give him only ten magazines. After quickly retrieving the magazines for Alex, the man left the booth. His coworker found a chair from which he would watch the teenager, and sat down.

After Alex had left yesterday, the other agents also exited the shooting range. Gossiping among themselves while returning their own trays, the man in charge of the range had heard bits on the young teenager's prowess with the firearm. Intrigued, he had hoped that the boy would return and asked another agent to take his shift when he left. Currently, the man sat near a window that overlooked Alex.

Standing in front of the targets, the agent saw Alex taking a relaxed stance and raise his gun up.

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><p>Inside the shooting range, Alex had cleared his mind of unnecessary thoughts and shot the targets. However, just as he shot the first bullet, he was brought back to Dragon 9, where he followed Ben as he rushed into the command room, shooting.<p>

_There was another man lying face down a short distance away, and Alex realized that Ben must have shot him as he came in._

_It was Ash._

_He had been shot twice in the chest and the life was seeping out of him. Alex could see it in the dark eyes, which were filled with pain and remorse and something that was less definable but that might have been shame._

Alex had abandoned his godfather; rejected him for what he had done to his parents. Ash would never again, be mentioned.

Anger clouding his mind, he forgot about the correct shooting form and fired out of anger. Failing to remember the Raven's strong recoil, Alex yelped and dropped the gun. Alex's guard jumped in surprise at the boy's clumsiness.

From outside, the agent had leapt up, shocked at what he had seen. The teen had been professionally composed one minute and then angry the next. His first bullet reached the center of the target while the others had wildly flown in no specific direction. Realizing that Alex was unstable, but an expert shooter, he walked over to the booth and took over. Five minutes later, Alex walked out, wearing an ice-cold mask. He handed seven unused magazines back to the agent and dragged his feet to the elevator with the guard trailing behind. Shaking his head, the agent put back the magazines and tried to forget about the young boy.

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><p>- Alex's room, 1 hour later -<p>

"Agent Rider, Mrs. Jones is waiting for you in her office. She says to come after you have packed your belongings."

Alex sighed and stuffed everything he owned into the backpack Smithers gave him. Shouldering his bag, he followed the guard to Mrs Jone's office. John Crawley stood behind Mrs. Jones, and when Alex opened the door, they both looked towards him. Mrs. Jones gestured to the chair in front of her desk, indicating him to sit down. The young agent sat down and resignedly stared at the two.

"Alex... I hope you realize that we fully intend to keep our promise to you and Jack. We won't contact you unless it is an extreme circumstance. Mr. Pleasure will pick you up at LAX when you arrive. Crawley will drive you to Heathrow Airport. To avoid suspicion of any kind, you'll be going on a commercial airplane. However, we've put you in first class," Jones informed. She handed him ann envelope. "Inside is your ticket to Los Angeles and also, my personal number as well as Joe Bryne's. If you ever need to contact us, you can call us." Mrs. Jones looked Alex in the eye and said, "Good-bye, Alex..."

Crawley walked out from behind Mrs. Jones and ushered Alex out of the room. They both exited the bank through the front exit and Alex turned around to glance at the Royal and General Bank for the (hopefully) last time. He briefly looked at the spot where he was shot and then continued to follow Crawley.

The car was filled with awkward silence as it was driven to Heathrow Airport. When they arrived, Crawley parked the car and they both walked towards the terminal. Instead of heading towards the normal check-in area, Alex was led to a separate, secluded area. The older agent took the young boy aside.

"Alex, I need you to know how this is going to work. You'll go through airport security, but separately. The passengers have been checked to make sure they have no suspicious backgrounds or anything, so your flight should go smoothly. Now, follow me."

Leading him to a single security scanner, Alex handed the backpack filled with gadgets to Crawley. Hesitating slightly (for he was wearing the holster with Raven), he stepped forward into the scanner. The older man walked over to the screen and raised an eyebrow when he saw the concealed gun that appeared. Saying nothing, he then scanned the bag and gave it back to Alex. The MI6 agent ushered the teen towards the plane and pleasantly said good-bye.

As Alex walked up the stairs and into the plane, he looked back one last time towards his home-country.

_Good-bye..._

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><p><strong>AN : Alex's memory inside the shooting range was taken directly out of the book but rearranged to fit. Also, I'm going to try to finish the story before I upload the chapters so I can update on a regular basis / schedule. So, you probably won't get a chapter until a while... Sorry! :(**


	5. Author Note

I had some of the plot planned out but I just couldn't seem to fully develop it after a certain point. I am very sorry. I know what I say can't change anything but I can't find the will to write anymore. School has been filling up my time and it just hasn't worked out for me. Truth be told, I am more of a reader / critiquer than a writer. However, if anyone wants to adopt this story or anything, feel free to PM me. Again, I am extremely sorry.


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